1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a case for housing a probe cover to be mounted on a probe, and more particularly to an improved case for mounting a cover on a probe of a sensor.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
A conventional radiation clinical thermometer having a probe for measuring body temperature by sensing infrared energy from an ear opening of a patient employs a probe cover mounted on the probe to be inserted into the ear opening for measurement. This prevents the probe from being contaminated. For this purpose, the probe cover must be replaced with a new one whenever a body temperature is measured. The frequent replacement is done for health purposes.
Conventional examples of probe covers and a probe cover case enclosing the prove covers is shown in FIGS. 12 through 16.
In FIGS. 12, a plurality of conical probe covers 71 are piled up to be enclosed within a case 70 as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,088,834. One of covers 71 is mounted on a probe by inserting the probe into the piled up covers. This construction has the disadvantage that two or more covers are simultaneously mounted on the probe because the piled up covers are not individually separated. If a plurality of covers are mounted on the probe, the covers are required to be remounted by hands which invites problems in health because the covers are directly touched by hands. This prevents smooth measurement when a series of measurements are required.
In FIG. 13, a plurality of conical probe covers 81 are arranged in parallel to be enclosed within a case 80 as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,662,360. One of probe covers 81 is mounted on a probe by inserting the probe into the covers 81. This construction avoids such inconvenience that a plurality of covers are simultaneously mounted on the probe, but has the disadvantages that only small number of covers can be enclosed in comparison with the whole volume of the case because of broad spacing between the neighboring covers or in a portion to be inserted by the probe, whereby the frequency of operation for enclosing covers into the case is increased with deteriorating the operation efficiency when many times of measurements are required to be executed continuously. If a large number of covers are desired to be enclosed in the case, the case becomes bulky and inconvenient for carriage.
FIGS. 14 and 15 illustrate another example of a probe cover case, in which a probe cover is mounted in the order of illustrations of FIG. 14(a) and (b) and FIG. 15(c) and (d). In this probe cover case, a plurality of probe covers are continued in series as a rolled sheet W and enclosed in a case 90 to be mounted on a probe 100 by a predetermined mounting operation.
The mounting operation will be described in detail hereinafter. Case 90 includes a lid provided with a probe insert hole 91 for an open-and-close movement and a hold member 93 to enclose the rolled covers W. In order to mount a cover on probe 100 by using the case, one piece of cover C is pulled up from the rolled covers W to be placed on lid 92 adjusting a ring of cover C to probe insert hole 91 in position as shown in FIG. 14(a). In FIG. 14(b), as probe 100 is inserted into hole 91, it is covered with cover C. As probe 100 is pulled up from hole 91 after such mounting, cover C is pulled up until a perforation of a subsequent cover C' comes near an edge of lid 92 as shown in FIG. 15(c). Then, as cover C' is held by hold member 93 in FIG. 15(d) and probe 100 is pulled outwardly of case 90, cover C is separated from cover C' in the perforation and simultaneously the subsequent cover C' is placed on lid 92.
A cover case constructed in this manner can overcome the inconvenience of a plurality of covers simulataneously mounted on probe and provide a large number of covers to be enclosed within a compact case because of a rolled cover sheet. The operation of the case, however, is not convenient. The probe must be inserted into hole 91 after adjusting the ring of probe cover into hole 91, and hold member 93 must be pressed against the subsequent cover C' for separating cover C. This operation is more complicated than the above-mentioned conventional operations, and difficult to provide smooth measurements continuously made many times.